Breaking the rules can be fun. Sometimes what is left unsaid can make more of a statement than what would otherwise be obvious. Take the case of the lead photo, “Farmer Walks Away“; U. S. c.1933 (sepia added). We can only wonder what is going through this farmer’s mind as he walks through his barren field. Imagine the effect the image would have had he been facing the camera. Depending on his expression the difference might be subtle or create a completely alternate setting.
Inspiration for this image has been the work of the great Brazilian photojournalist Sebastião Salgado. We hope that he would approve. These oil men, (“Roughnecks“; Texas c.1919), are covered in oil as the well proves to be a gusher. Note the oil spray coming off the drill
Always room for one more. If you do the crime, you’ve got to do the time. No one is above the law. True that Alcatraz is no more than a tourist attraction these days, but it once housed the most notorious criminals in our society. DPI’s prison collection contains more images of Alcatraz as well as other prisons some not so well known. Seen below is an image we call “Workin’ On The Chain Gang” taken in Florida in 1936.
Photo was taken during an anti-Vietnam War rally c. 1969. Funny how what goes around comes around. Education, vigilance and courage are the keys. How better to illustrate the issue than through the innocence of a child.
A scene from a spy thriller or just a gentleman smoking his pipe overlooking the Seine? Imagine the effect of this photo if the pipe was absent. Such a small section of the photo, if missing, would have such a large effect on the overall mood. Perhaps this man was thinking about the future of France as Hitler was consolidating his power in Germany? This photo comes to us from a contributor in Bulgaria.
May the Force be with you. I wanna be a Spaceman. Will our Starship Troopers be similarly outfitted? Hey, it’s a bug planet! A little humor in times like these may help. Probably inspired by Flash Gordon, but that may be going back too far for some of you. Sometimes I wish that they could just beam me up, Scotty.
To the victims of the mass shooting in Las Vegas, our thoughts and prayers will always be with you. In the many conversations that I have had before and since the mass shooting I have yet to hear a convincing argument for the justification for civilians to possess automatic weapons whether it be a hand gun or long rifle. Having an open mind I would welcome a discussion from anyone concerned about this issue. Presented here is “Mandalay Bay“; Las Vegas, Nevada (September 3, 1999) in happier times.
“Freedom of Speech“; U. S. c.1926. Sometimes it is difficult to analyze the situation in an image in the absence of definitive clues. It is clear that these three men are proud of their accomplishment. For us, it recalls the “Freedom of Speech” painting by Norman Rockwell used as an illustration for an article in the Saturday Evening Post published on February 21, 1943 seen below. Four articles appeared the the magazine that year each one illuminating FDR’s Four Freedoms speech.
Painting by Norman Rockwell used on the cover of the Saturday Evening Post (February 21, 1943).